Mary Joan Pugh

Interim Assistant Secretary for Natural Resources

Mary Joan Pugh was named Interim Assistant Secretary for Natural Resources in January 2015. As Interim Asst. Secretary, she oversees the following divisions and offices within the department: Marine Fisheries, Parks and Recreation, NC Museum of Natural Sciences, Aquariums, and Zoo.

Ms. Pugh served as an assistant secretary in DENR from 1985 to 1989. She joined the N.C. Zoo in 1989 and currently serves as the zoo’s deputy director. Pugh earned a bachelor’s degree in zoology and a master’s degree in regional planning with a concentration in environmental and land use planning from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.